


ab aeterno

by Som3on3



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Women, Dimension Travel, Multi, Time Travel, idk how to tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:15:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28148202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Som3on3/pseuds/Som3on3
Summary: Greeted by the ghosts of sinners and saints, its an eternal cycle. In which, our main protagonist is from our world, having fallen into the MCU many dimensions ago. It gets repetitive after a while.(si/oc, a different take on girl-falls-into-MCU)
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s), James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s), Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 6





	1. Of Murderous Sorcerers and Socialism

It began with rain.

Torrents of water crashed upon the concrete architecture as New Yorkers trudged their way through the morning traffic. In avoidance from the rain, people huddled under the canopy of shops, backs pressed against the wall and hands glued on their phones. Albeit wetter than usual, it was simply another day in the bustling city where not even the apocalypse could stop the nine-to-fivers from reaching work.

Our main protagonist, though she was far from a hero in shining armour, stood in front of the Continental Hotel. A yellow umbrella kept her pink coat dry but did nothing to hide the strange splatters of red that could have easily been passed off as a trendy fashion statement. Although, at a closer inspection it was clear that the handle of the umbrella was dented and that her heels were perhaps too sharp to be considered legal. Nonetheless, she made no effort to blend in despite the eye-catching colour combination that was adorned.

 _Ani_ , as written on her name-tag (not Annie thank you very much), had finished work early this morning and was headed home with a happy paycheque. After she left the Continental, she made sure to pick up a bag of groceries, as per routine, and treated herself with a glazed doughnut. Upon the arrival of her modest apartment in Queens, she glanced at the neighbour's window where she waved at the lovely cat lady and reminded herself to invite the other for dinner one day. Leaving her too-sharp-shoes at the entrance, Ani was greeted by a sweet smell of pastry and coffee. Her roommate would often leave food for Ani to come home to before going to work herself.

"Honey, I'm home," Ani sang with a smile.

"About time," said The Ancient One, with emphasis on the 'the,' since she was quite important and it would be unbecoming if one didn't emphasise at least one word in her three names. "How long will you keep up with this charade?"

"I'm quite enjoying it," Ani replied. "This world has amazing coffee. You'd be surprised in the number of worlds where coffee doesn't even exist! Or where America only drinks Starbucks or black coffee. How terrible! No, I quite enjoy this world and I think I might just stay. Surely you're bored of me now."

Kaecilius, The Ancient One's most esteemed henchmen number one, curled his lips into an ugly frown at her answer. He had never liked her, but Ani found him very amusing and sexy, though that could be because he resembled one of her favourite celebrities in another world.

"Your presence has already created ripples," Karl Mordo, henchmen number two, stated with an ominous voice. Truth be told, Ani didn't care, there were other dimensions where the world was fucked up beyond repair. "You're an outlier that is not meant to exist."

The year was — actually, Ani didn't bother to look up the date. She arrived in this world's New York City on a sunny day in the back alley of Queens. Other than the scare she gave to the passed out drunk who had awoken due to the commotion, she didn't attract unwanted attention. The blood that covered Ani at her arrival was a bit suspicious, but nothing a few tricks here and there couldn't fix. Dimensional travel through the multiverse didn't exactly prepare you for what's to come on the other side.

Unfortunately, not long after she bought shawarma, the Masters of the Mystic Arts surrounded her. The subject of her arrival created much alarm because apparently, in this universe, a tear in space and time was not the norm. Nonetheless, Ani made sure to stitch the tear up before any interdimensional monsters managed to slither through. Yet, the Masters of the Mystic Arts didn't leave much room to allow for an explanation. It was strange considering that she didn't recall magicians to be this much of a pain in the neck.

Ani understood she was a beacon of otherworldly-ness, but she made sure to tone it down so that no one else would notice her presence. Other than The Ancient One, who had centuries of experience, no one was bothered by her existence. In all honesty, Ani found it quite rude, she rather liked this world and didn't exactly want to leave. On a positive note, she wasn't creating any form of havoc. She would go as far as to say that she was a law-abiding citizen and a wonderful inter-dimensional migrant who was contributing to society. The Masters of the Mystic Arts was just stiff on their positions, a bunch of pricks in her opinion.

"Boy," Ani began, biting into the croissant, almond and custard she noted, her favourite. "If you think this world is fucked up with me in it, wait a few years when a purple dinosaur comes, now that's some scary shit. Or maybe compare it to another world where a witch in red gets rid of like, majority of the universe. Yeah nah, I think this one is pretty quiet in comparison. Now can you all just leave me alone and stop being stalkers, please. Surely I'm not the first dimension traveller on this Earth."

"You are not," The Ancient One confirmed. "However, your presence is beyond those that have trifled with dimensions before. You have a mark of a terrible being that cannot be easily dismissed. Do not assume you can fool us by claiming to be a young magic-user who read the wrong spells. Tell us child, who are you running from?"

Ani drained her tea and watched the runes that covered the expanse of her arms, Mordo's doing. The binding spells were impressive and if it were any other person, Ani would have been brought to her knees. She blinked and starlight consumed her eyes, "I am not running and even if I was, I don't need your help."

"Then that is a shame, but everything happens for a reason," The Ancient One proclaimed and the way her hands glowed with mandalas was not a great sign. "Then as protectors of this universe, we must set everything to the correct path."

"It's a shame that we don't get along, in another universe we were great friends Tilda."

With that, the world twisted.

* * *

Our favourite inter-dimensional protagonist somehow managed to find another job in _this economy._ It was a bit of a surprise considering the global financial crisis came crashing and unemployment rates were skyrocketing worldwide. That, and being chased by murderous magicians (sorry, sorcerers) didn't exactly fall in her favour. Perhaps it was luck or the powers above that landed her this job. Although, from her past experiences the Powers That Be didn't give two shits about her.

Instead, it had been a kind lady named Renata who she bumped into at a coffee shop that told her of this job opportunity. Renata, who was on vacation, was a housekeeper to some cranky old politician in Washington. _We, migrants, have to support each othe_ r, Renata had said, _we have to work twice as hard_ , _I am getting old but you are still young, use this opportunity to open more doors._ Ani would be lying if she said that Renata's words didn't affect her and after being chased by sorcerers who were trying to kill her (and the traumatic occurrences from the previous dimension), the act of kindness was a welcomed anomaly.

Thus, her current position as a cleaner at Tony Stark's Malibu mansion. Two months in and Ani managed to stay low. It was a far cry from her job at the Continental, that job had given her many luxuries in comparison to her current circumstance where she could barely make ends meet. The money she made from the Continental covered the deposit and if she was careful, could stretch out for another few months. Since the cleaning job was paying her the minimum wage on the dot, $5.85 in 2007, Ani would have to find another job if she wanted to pay for rent. She didn't even want to think about utilities right now.

For a place that claimed it was the 'land of new opportunities', American society sure liked to rob its citizens of a decent standard of living. Maybe she should move to a socialist country where universal health care was a thing. As of right now, she wasn't _too_ bothered. Sure, Ani preferred her job at the Continental but she also didn't like the idea of sorcerers kicking her seven ways to the Netherworld. That was an unpleasant thought. So, like any good migrant, Ani kept her mouth shut and continued to work at the cleaning company without complaint.

On the other hand, during her time working, Ani saw very little of the owner himself. It was commonly known that when he wasn't busy travelling, Tony Stark was often partying. Because Ani had the morning shifts today, she only saw a glimpse of him just as she left at noon and when he woke up. At first, it was like seeing a ghost because, in the previous dimension, Tony Stark died saving the universe. Here, he was younger and hungover, but eyes seldom of pain and tragedy. Sometimes Ani pretended that she couldn't see the blood on his chest or the arc-reactor that was currently non-existent. She also had to remind herself that this Tony Stark has brown eyes instead of blue, tan skin, unlike the grey hue that she parted with.

Tony Stark was a strange fixed-mark in her life because no matter which universe, he seemed to have an impact - even in the ones where he was dead. Majority of the Tony Starks in the multiverse possessed a level of brilliance that she gravitated towards. There were dimensions where he did affect her circle, the times he took the role of a brother, father or friend. Grief was a hefty thing and more often than not, Ani had a terrible habit of running away. Okay, so maybe she was actively avoiding him. At least it was working.

Unsurprisingly, the fates loved to hurl things at her and on a morning shift she was greeted by the sight of a passed out Tony Stark sleeping on his vomit. It wasn't a surprise, but it was quite pathetic to see a man she once viewed as the saviour of the universe to a drunkard. Ani didn't know what life would be like for this Tony Stark, but he sure wasn't helping his cause by drinking himself half to death.

Careful as to not dirty her clothes, Ani made sure he was breathing. She lightly tapped his cheek, "Mister Stark? Please wake up Mister Stark."

At his grumble, Ani frowned. Pretty sure this wasn't in her job description, but she couldn't afford to leave him lying on the ground, that would heighten the chances of her getting fired.

"I would suggest Miss Ani, to wait for Mister Hogan to carry sir to his room if you are unable to do so," came a posh British voice. Oh right, JARVIS. Ani had become acquainted with him after the first few shifts.

Ani contemplated for a few seconds before making up her mind. "We wouldn't want to bother Mister Hogan on his day off. I worked at a cafe before, we had to carry heavy crates, I should be fine. But thanks, for not leaving me on radio silence."

"It is always a pleasure to help. I will open sir's room for your convenience."

With her enhanced strength, carrying Tony wasn't an issue but making it look like she was struggling under the weight while trying to avoid getting vomit on her uniform was a bit of a problem. Eventually, Ani managed to settle Tony into bed and walked to the kitchen to place a glass of water and pain-killers by the table. Frowning, she glanced at the date: _December 16._ In understanding, Ani pulled the blanket over him and quietly walked towards the door before gently closing it.

Releasing a sigh, it was time to begin her day and there was much to clean judging by the bottles that were strewn carelessly across the bar. Firstly, she needed to clean the vomit and the broken glass on the floor. Ani looked at the window and watched as the sun peaked amongst the clouds, thinking of another lifetime.

* * *

"Have we met before?"

Ani blinked and glanced up to see Tony Stark strangely awake before noon. It had been months since she was greeted by her boss in his vomit. Life hadn't changed much and surprisingly, she still managed to avoid Tony's path despite cleaning his house nearly every day. Moreover, Ani fell into a routine that suited her current predicament of staying in the down-low. Other than befriending a kind elderly woman who owned the Asian Grocers and knitting the occasional jumper that was far too hot in the Californian sun, there was nothing out of the ordinary. It was successful, to say the least because there hadn't been sorcerers knocking on her door recently.

She leaned against the mop-again why the hell is she using a shitty manual mop when Stark Industries was a company that could make machines to clean floors. Wait, that was unless they were still primarily a weapons manufacturing company. Which would make sense? Ani glanced at Stark who was still staring at her. He looked better compared to the last time she saw him, dressed in what looked like a pair of track pants and shirt that's worth more than her entire apartment. In contrast, Ani's short bob was tightly held back by cheap neon hair clips and her tawny skin was washed out by the dull grey of the cleaning uniform. Overall, she must've been a sight, with her bleary gaze that lacked both sleep and ambition.

Truth be told, Ani hadn't contemplated having a conversation with Tony. She had expected things to go back to normal, him ignoring her existence as she trudged through life as an underpaid employee. Although, she had gotten used to the fact that no matter how much she tried to avoid certain people, no matter which universe, Ani would always encounter them. But to a certain extent, Tony has ignored her (that hurt a bit but this Tony didn't know her), and she didn't hold the slightest clue as to why he was talking to her now.

This Tony Stark was _so_ young from the previous one that she became accustomed to. Brown eyes instead of blue, dark brown hair instead of silver. This wasn't the father figure that she loved while her biological father fucked off to who knows where. This wasn't the man who thought that he was responsible for the world. This was a younger Tony Stark, who was still a little bit naive and still built weapons that killed millions for the sake of 'America'. This wasn't family, she reminded herself: _you get attached too much, stop it._

Thus, trying to hide her shuddering breath, Ani gave a salesperson-smile™. It was the one without the teeth because Ani was told that she looked too much like a shark. Instead, this one softened the sharp contours of Ani's already-too-thin face and it made her look younger, redirecting people's attention off of her horrible gaze. She wore the same smile at the job interview and it was sweet enough to swipe them off their feet.

"I've been working here for the past couple of months Mister Stark, I think that's the reason why," with that, Ani gripped her mop and continued to clean only to pause, looking up at Tony who was now standing in front of her with an inquisitive expression.

"I swear I've seen you somewhere before," Tony propped a hand on his chin. "Hey, you're that girl who carried me to bed. You look rather small to have done that. What do you do to pack those muscles?"

"It's called being in the working class Mister Stark, something I'm sure you'd never have the trouble experiencing," Ani sniped. _For Hela's sake,_ all she wanted to do was continue working without any disturbance. She didn't need ghosts from the past reminding her how much of failure she was. Annoyed, she glanced up and noticed that Tony hadn't even bothered to move.

"You've got snark," Tony whistled.

She put the mop back into the bucket, "I'm sorry Mister Stark, do you have a problem with me? Because if you have any complaints please bring it up to the company. I'm going to mop on the second floor now. If you'll excuse me."

"Look kid," Tony held his hands up. "I didn't mean to offend you. Just pointing out a fact and wanted to have a little chat. You've been cleaning this place for how many months now? Don't answer that, it was rhetorical. What's your name?"

"My name is Ani, just like it says on the name tag but pronounced Ah-ni please."

"Tell me about yourself Ani, are you doing this job to pay off your student loans?" Tony quipped, heading to the bar and grabbed himself a packet of snacks.

"Not all of us have the luxuries of being billionaires Mister Stark. You know, if rich people had the incentive to distribute money for equity then we probably wouldn't have the problems we have today," Ani wanted to be mean and say something about conflict and monetizing on people's suffering but she might get fired and didn't want that to happen.

A careful brown brow was arched. "Were you a Political Science Major? I wouldn't be surprised."

"I didn't go to university Mister Stark," Ani admitted, "I didn't have that opportunity. It was taken, but that's life."

"Do you want to go back to school? Also, don't say Mister, that makes me feel old. Just call me Tony, you've been working here long enough I suppose."

"No, I don't want to go to university, I have other things I have to worry about," _like sorcerers trying to kill me._ Ani grabbed the bucket and mop."Now please excuse me, Mister Stark, there are many things I need to do and so little time. Have a good day sir."

Not waiting for a reply, Ani made her way up the stairs.

* * *

"I brought you some food, Mister Stark."

"Don't call me Mister Stark," said the man as he glanced up from his work. "Why are you bringing me food? You're just a cleaner."

"My neighbour cooked chiltomate, she gave me a lot but I already made food for the week. I didn't want to waste it so I brought some over," it wasn't exactly a lie. She did make food for today and tomorrow but not enough for the entire week, Ani just needed a reason. She noticed that Tony wasn't eating properly and what better remedy for hunger than Abuela's cooking?

Tony looked suspicious before turning back to the machine. "Just do your job kid."

The dismissal was prompt and reasonable considering she himself dismissed him the other day. Turning on her heel, Ani went to the kitchen and quickly placed the Tupperware into the fridge. She grabbed her cleaning supplies and continued to work.

Just as she left to finish her shift, she noticed the empty washed Tupperware on the kitchen island and smiled.

It became a routine. Of course, she couldn't rely on Abuela to make food so she used whatever money she had sparingly to cook. It wasn't Michelin standard nor was she able to feed Tony every day. But she made sure to at least bring food twice a week, it consisted mostly of nasi goreng and dahl with rice. He hasn't complained yet, so she took that as a sign to continue.

The only downside was her enhanced metabolism and Ani wasn't eating the amount of food that she needed. Her powers used up energy, alternatively, she could consume the surrounding energy but a hefty backlash was attached to that. Plus, there was nothing better than a home-cooked meal. Yet, at this rate she's on the verge of desperation and consuming raw energy was a bad idea. Both for her and whichever poor person was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Ani didn't want to pass out on the way home, vulnerable to sorcerers ready to incinerate her existence. She should find another job, the cleaning company was bleeding her dry and all she wanted was to eat.

One might ask, why the hell is she feeding Tony Stark when he's a billionaire in a world where the people should eat the rich? Ani spent the night staring at her ceiling thinking the same question. There were days where she didn't consider it, and then the next shift, she came back with a filled Tupperware. Sometimes, she would forget that he was a brunet instead of a silver-haired man, that he was family rather than some stranger. _Hela,_ she nearly called him 'Dad' the other day. Ani was pathetic, couldn't pay her rent, nearly starving and stuck with a boss that struck too close to home.

The relationship she had with the previous dimension's Tony Stark was one built out of familial love. Tony had taken Ani during a low point in her life. He held her hand and told her; the world sucks but I'm here. At a moment where loneliness was prominent and everyone had left her, it mattered so much. Ani spent many years with Tony and he adopted the role of father figure even though she forgot what it was like to have one. He had been the best friend that took care of her, made sure she was fed and fixed broken things. Then, the world was in peril and because Tony fucking bleeding heart Stark felt like he owed the universe some responsibility, he went on and got himself killed.

So yes, the existence of Tony Stark struck too close to home. It was okay, she'll find a new job one day and move on, or maybe move states. Pretty sure Australia made a recession-proof strategy, maybe she should go there. Go soul searching and avoid murderous sorcerers.

"Woah there girl, what did the mop ever do to you?" Tony asked, looking at the mop she had just slammed on the marble floors.

"Nothing Mister Stark, just cleaning as per usual."

"You know," Tony began whilst taking a seat. "You don't have to cook for me."

"Doesn't matter Mister Stark, I had leftovers," she shrugged. "My Dad taught me to share, it's only nice."

"If you say so kid," there was a strange tilt in his voice that Ani recognised as contemplation. "I looked at your files by the way, and it doesn't say much. Are you alone in the States? Here for a better opportunity?"

"I don't know how it would interest you, Mister Stark. Also, if I were looking for a place of opportunity I would go to a country with universal healthcare and free education. _Hel,_ this country monetises every single thing it's kind of gross. You should become President Mister Stark, revolutionise the system and make it socialist because for a country that advocates for equality and rights it sure doesn't have any of that," Ani rolled her eyes. "But I suppose in a place that was indoctrinated by the Cold War and feeding the public debauched examples of socialism, that would never happen. It was a nice thought though. What?"

"Huh, are you sure you're not doing a political science degree?" Tony then adopted a disturbed expression. "Also, a Stark for President? I think the CIA would rather have another Cold War."

"Can't even afford the loans, Mister Stark, again, I'll remind you I have other things to worry about," she paused. "And I don't think you'd be a bad president just stop making weapons."

Tony ignored the weapons comment. "You sure you don't want a Stark Scholarship to spontaneously show at your doorstep? You're a bright kid, hard-working too."

"Give it to some kid from a lower socioeconomic background," Ani restrained a frustrated groan. "A better idea, why don't you create programs that would uplift those in poverty. Spread the money in areas where it is needed, give a fish and teach how to fish, you get the gist of it."

There was a moment of silence before the man continued. "Kid, why are you still with the cleaning company? They're paying you $5.85 per hour."

"I don't have a choice Mister Stark, the world is in a recession and I'm lucky to have a job. It sucks a lot but beggars can't be choosers," Ani said. If there was one thing she knew is that sometimes the world is a bag of dicks and things didn't always go your way.

"Look Clips," from the hairclips, Ani snorted and Tony carried on. "You don't want a scholarship, some people don't want to go to tertiary education, which is perfectly fine. Now, hear me out, I'm offering you a job, a proper job with good pay and healthcare."

Ani narrowed her eyes, "I'm not some pity case you need to take care of to make yourself feel better, Mister Stark. Although I won't lie, I'm interested. What job are you offering me?"

"A proper housekeeper, you'll get paid leave as well. What do you say?"

* * *

Our main protagonist stared at the new contract in her hands. _How ironic_ , this was exactly like the first time when she fell into the Marvel Universe, desperate and lost and it had been Tony Stark who gave her a job.

Ani exhaled, she was getting sick of the whole girl-falling-into-MCU trope. After so many dimensions, it gets tiring.

(In which, our main protagonist is from our world, having fallen into the MCU many dimensions ago. It gets repetitive after a while.)


	2. Of Desperation and Dancing

It began with music.

A nondescript, easily forgotten song with a bouncy tune that complimented the joyous atmosphere of a summer's day. The beach provided a picturesque landscape of golden sands and a reflective ocean, it's romanticism highlighted by the pleasant weather as people broke away from their quotidian life. The whimsical scenery was only ruptured by the loud boombox generated from a group of passing teenagers, melting fake tan and an overabundance of trash carelessly thrown away from the garbage bin.

Unlike the cheerful music, Ani's mood mirrored that of the trash. Earlier in the morning, Tony had spontaneously decided to drag her out to go shopping-during her day off mind you. Which, she didn't understand considering that he could have easily bought everything online. Yet, Tony decided to haul her to stores that could pay entire decades worth of rent. What was worse was his instinct to obnoxiously flirt with every second store clerk. Fed up, Ani decided to ditch him and buy ice cream. Thus, her current predicament of sitting on a bench with a chocolate sundae and wearing bunny slippers because Tony refused to let her change before they left the apartment. At least the ice cream was good, although incredibly overpriced considering the tourists that flocked the area.

Ani vacantly stared at the large body of water, mind drifting as she contemplated the regrets that have been accumulating over the past months. Despite Tony's strong insistence, Ani still refused the job offer. For good reasons too, one was out of the practicality considering that his high profile would lead unwanted attention straight towards her. The second was out of moral guilt. Although she enjoyed his company, it would be a lie to deny that she didn't view him as a replacement for _her Tony_ who had died. Moreover, it was only a matter of time before the sorcerers caught wind of her and Ani knew that changing locations would be inevitable. So agreeing to the job offer would only complicate an already difficult situation.

At the same time, rent wasn't looking so good and she was running out of money. Food was no longer an issue because Tony provided her ingredients as long as she kept cooking for him and she made sure to cook enough for left-overs. The topic of money was only second to her currently fucked up headspace and murderous sorcerors, but being kicked out of her rental wasn't the most desirable thing either. She probably needed to resort to questionable methods and it wasn't above her to commit crime as long as she didn't gain attention.

Ani sighed in annoyance. She didn't think that travelling between dimensions could be this stressful. The fact that rent and finances were her primary worry was laughable in comparison to the near-death experiences she had in the previous worlds. Oh, if only people could look at her now, the almighty Ani scrimmaging for money. On the bright side, at least there wasn't an apocalypse, now that would be terrible and something that did not need to be added to her list of worries. Ani froze and quickly knocked on wood, yeah that was something that she desperately wanted to avoid.

"Excuse me is this seat taken?" Breaking away from her thoughts, Ani looked up. The sun was hidden by the person, only allowing the silhouette to enter her gaze. But as she shielded her eyes, she found a man wearing an apron with 'Luis' stitched on the breast-pocket.

"Go ahead," she returned his smile. What do normal people do when striking a conversation with strangers? Ani drummed her fingers against her jeans and chose to speak about the weather. "Sure is a sunny day isn't it?"

"That's the Californian sun for you. Are you not from here?" Luis asked, flinging the dishrag onto his shoulder. He seemed friendly enough and looked just as tired as her, maybe even more.

"No," Ani affirmed, that's certainly one way to put it. If they were talking to the place she was born, then Ani was certainly far away from there. "I moved here a couple of days ago, from New York. I'm used to the heat, spent most of my childhood in the tropics but I'm not going to lie, going from New York winter to Californian summer isn't that great. Oh, I almost forgot. My name is Ani, just like it says on the name tag but pronounced Ah-ni please."

"Luis," he introduced himself, before glancing down. "Probably figured with the name-tag. Nice to meet you Ani and New York, huh? How do you like California so far?"

"When I'm not working, it's great," she shrugged, "I like the ocean. Other than that I haven't had much time to do anything, but if this girl were to do something different from work, do you have any recommendations? If it helps, I like poetry and enchiladas."

"Oh! If you like poetry, there's this super niche place that my friend's nephew goes to. They do slam poetry there and it's great! I've only been there once but they hire this cool place out. My friend's nephew and his friends at the community college helped set it up, it was a bit rocky at first but now it's grown in popularity, especially with the young kids. They do all different things with poetry. They do it in all different languages as well since the demographics in the community college come from immigrant backgrounds. It's worth the listen and will change your mind about how you perceive the world. Changed mine!"

Pause. "If you like enchiladas, there's this food van over there in the corner that's surprisingly affordable. That's because the one who owns it is friends with my dad before he got deported. Now that I think about it, they probably just give me a discount but that's okay when you order let them know that you're friends with Luis and I guarantee they'll give it to you at an affordable price."

"That's nice of you Luis, I'll try out some of their enchiladas. And thank's for telling me about the slam poetry. Although I'm not a university student, I'll be sure to check out the slam poetry when I have the opportunity. What about you? What do you like to do in your spare time?"

"I like computers! But people say that if I have any talent it'd probably be talking, I'm pretty good at talking."

"Maybe you should make a podcast then? Take your technological skills and combine it with your passion for talking about stuff. Find a topic you're interested in but for what it's worth, you have good charisma."

"You think so?" Luis looked taken aback and there was a vulnerability tinged in his tone. The bright, cheerful man appeared to have been overtaken with a shadow of uncertainty.

Ani was familiar with the look, a lack of self-confidence sucked, which was only worsened in a society where people belittled others. Which was especially true amongst the immigrant community who was constantly being told to go back to where they come from. The lack of certainty towards identity is harmful to anyone, the sense of displacement from the culture that you surround yourself with was worse. _'America land of opportunities' my ass_ , she thought.

In truth, the American Dream was dead and the reality of it is that if you're a person of colour you have to work twice as hard against the pre-existing challenges. Inequality was systemic, America certainly wasn't an exception to it either. Whether it was ethnicity, gender or one's socio-economic class, inequality was prevalent wherever a person goes. In Ani's experiences, she's been confronted with horrible things, whether on Earth as an Asian in a low skilled job. Or, as a Terran in the far galaxy where people viewed her as an infantile creature.

Despite the differences that were attached to each experience, the injustice that was bred as a product of those who deemed themselves superior was transcendental. Ani's mind briefly wandered to the Kree Empire and their colonial endeavours-not much different to how colonialism ran rampant on Earth. Ani learned very quickly that exploitation could be found in every corner and that slavery existed under different names.

While Ani didn't know Luis's own lived experience, she gave him an encouraging smile. "Sure do."

"Hey, kid!" Happy yelled out from an overpriced car it should be illegal. "Tony's done shopping, you coming?"

"Alright! Gimme a sec Happy," she offered a farewell. "It's nice meeting you Luis. Good luck on your podcast if you ever think of doing it!"

She made her way to Happy, once she reached him Ani through her hands up. "Again, I have no idea why you guys brought me here and also shouldn't he tell the cleaning company that he made robots to clean? Why do they keep calling me into work when there's nothing to do?"

"You should've just said to the job offer kid."

"Firstly, not a kid. Secondly, I'm not going to be a corporate slave thank you very much."

* * *

"Would you ever reconsider working for Tony?" Happy asked once the car reached her neighbourhood after a rather tiresome day.

The two had become close in the past few months, reaching a strange camaraderie by the common experience of being within Tony's social sphere. He was a bit of a dick, in the beginning, kind of like a floofy bird with their feathers all stuck up. It was admitted after several cars ride later that Happy indeed viewed her as a child who was taking advantage of Tony's wealth. Not that Ani cared, but after a few conversations it was clear that she wasn't concerned with Tony's money. In fact, Ani and Happy found that they got along very well. They both liked the doughnut shop near Tony's and agreed that telenovelas were the best thing to have ever been created.

Happy was quite adamant on her working with Tony, maybe it was because he needed emotional support when being with Tony, who tended to forget that not everyone was a genius like him. Or a billionaire. Although Happy was desensitized with Tony's exuberant ways of spending, most people weren't. Admittedly, Tony had a kind heart and wouldn't blink an eye to donating millions of dollars to a charity. Yet, his wealth was made on the suffering of people offshore. As much as Ani enjoyed Tony's company, she wasn't blind to where his wealth came from.

The Stark Family had a legacy of blood, built primarily on weapons manufacturing. It was _still_ built on weapons manufacturing. Ani knew she was hypocritical to think this way, considering that she herself didn't have a moral scale to look up to. Truthfully, this wasn't even the real reason as to why she kept denying the job offer. Every time she saw Tony, she was reminded of all her past mistakes. The nightmares probably weren't good for her health either.

Otherwise, it certainly took a certain type of resilience to be within Tony's space, who kept criticising everyone's intelligence. Happy was used to it, Ani didn't give two shits for it, but she understood how he would probably just needed some semblance of normality. Jokes on him, she wasn't exactly normal but Ani did enjoy spending time with Happy, who was like a breath of fresh air.

Even when there wasn't a meteorite falling from the sky or an alien invasion, having to be around Tony all the time reminded her that there was always the chance for abnormality. That the world was always under threat. When it came to that, Ani didn't think that she had the motivation to save it nor was she ready to confront it. Running away from sorcerors was one thing, the chase was even fun to ascertain extent. But she didn't want to save lives, she didn't want to be responsible for anything.

Ani glanced at the passing buildings in contemplation, "I don't know Happy. I enjoy his company but I'm going through something and I don't know if it would be a good idea to work for him. What I've come to understand is that with Tony, you have to give your all with him. I don't know if I can do that right now."

"That's okay, but for what it's worth, it'd be great working with you."

"You think so?" Ani rolled her eyes, "I swear a couple of months back you were threatening to kick me out."

"That's before I found out you could cook," he said in a faux serious voice before giving a heartened half-smile. "I also know that you'd take care of Tony during his lowest. Despite all that money, not a lot of people would if they were in your position. You're a good kid and even if you don't end up working for him, you'll do great things in the future."

At Happy's encouragement, Ani allowed her gaze to trail to the powerlines partially obscured by the buildings. She blinked and quirked her lips upwards. "Thanks, Happy. And thanks for dropping me home."

"Take care kid."

Standing in front of her apartment, Ani hugged herself, exhaled and looked at the bunny slippers that probably shouldn't be worn inside anymore. It matched the aesthetics of the grimy stairs. Making her way upstairs, Ani ignored the screams that came from the couple on the second floor and the obnoxious music that pounded down the area from the student shared room in the corner. The piss-stained floor stunk like ever while mould crept the ceilings. The skeletons of the building architecture were barely holding up and Ani wouldn't be surprised if some idiot didn't burn the whole thing down. Knowing the potheads that lived across from her, one of them was bound to forget to turn off the gas.

Finally reaching her apartment, Ani looked around her bag to get out her key, just as she was about to unlock her door, she noticed that it was open. With a frown, Ani nudged it open, a creak echoing down the hallway.

_Someone had been to her apartment._

Ani scanned her empty room save for the pull-out couch, a blanket that hung lopsidedly on its edge, an umbrella and a beaten copy of Paulo Coelho's 'The Alchemist'. She opened the bathroom and nothing looked out of place. Still, on alert, Ani placed a palm on the wall and circumference the area, feeling the cracks of the wall.

Standing in the centre of the room, Ani closed her eyes before snapping them open, glowing purple. Power thrummed beneath her skin, latching onto the energy surrounding her, for a brief second she drifted to a recent memory; of a battled field with the dead and dying. Gasping, she immediately let go, gazes returning to normal. She shook her head, trying to focus on the task at hand. Taking a deep breath, the air hummed for a brief second before she let go. No one was here. Nothing indicated that the sorcerers had come since magic usually left a long-lasting residue.

Who could have broken into her room? Her neighbours? No, they were too scared for her. It could have been the group of students in the corner, yet they would've at least trashed the place. Instead, nothing was taken or broken and everything was left untouched, which no amateur thief would have done.

Unlocking the balcony door, Ani leaned over the railing and yelled out, "Abuela! Did you see anyone coming by to my apartment earlier today?"

From her balcony, the older lady shifted the laundry basket in her arms. "Not to my knowledge sweetie, were you expecting someone?"

"Yeah," Ani lied. "They must've been busy and forgot to let me know."

* * *

Ani cleaned the last of the benchtop, she spent the whole morning thinking about the break-in. She automatically stirred the content in the pot, lost in her thoughts. Whoever it could have been, Ani wasn't taking any chances. She needed to re-locate, hopefully still close enough to be able to commute to Tony's.

"That smells good, really good," came Tony's voice as the older man slid on a chair. He placed his elbows on the benchtop and like a curious child, peered over. "What is it? You've spent like the whole day cooking it."

"It's called rendang! I hope it's not too spicy for you, I made sure to dice down the spice."

"Where'd you learn how to cook?" Tony asked, impressed at the assortment of spices that Ani had brought to work that day.

"My friends actually since my parents were busy working and sometimes when my friends would come over, they'd show me how to work. I used to burn toast, you know? Other than that, I've received good tips from friendly neighbours, or roommates. I hated cooking at first, but now I find it a good time to sort of just rewind. What about you? Do you like to cook?"

"My mom taught me, we made pasta when I was younger," Tony clipped out only to soften when he saw her encouraging smile. "Afterwards it was my butler who taught me. He and his wife took care of me and showed me the basics in the kitchen. Not the best cook, that's why I usually get taken out if I remember to eat. Good thing I have you here though! You can remind me how to be a functioning human being."

"Again Tony, I'm not working for you. Though yeah, it's nice to think about the past some time," she hummed. Redirecting a conversation was a very Tony Stark thing to do. "My grandmother and I used to make these rice cakes during Ramadan for when we broke our fast. I miss her and sometimes I think of her, whether it's her yelling at me to clean up or make me nice food."

"Yeah," Tony blinked. "I think the world didn't deserve her, my mother, but she didn't deserve to be taken out of it."

"She sounds like she had a beautiful soul," Ani sat down next to him. "It hurts to remember. Sometimes the pain is too deep that you don't want to remember and when you do remember. God. It's like a rusted sword digging into you."

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "You'll be okay kid."

"We'll both be okay," she smiled despite the light awkwardness that hung over the air. "Now come on, let's eat dinner. Thanks by the way, for the money for the ingredients."

"As long as you're the one cooking than I don't care. Speaking of, you know if you work for me you can move out of that shitty apartment."

"Nah, thanks for the offer Tony but I don't think I will. Yeah, it's shitty but it's mine you know?" Except for the fact that someone broke into it and Ani need to invest in better locks.

"It doesn't look that secure," he said as he placed the rice on the plate. At the choice of words, Ani repressed a snort of amusement. The irony.

"I'll be fine, don't worry about it, Tony."

* * *

Lieutenant Colonel James "Rohdey" Rhodes was someone that Ani didn't have the chance to talk to often. Their paths have often passed when he dropped Tony off early in the morning after a long night. He was a courteous man and always said thank you before leaving. Otherwise, Rhodey didn't linger but today he decided to stay.

"Do you have any aspirations?" Rhodey asked after it took their joint effort to put Tony to bed earlier. Rhodey currently laid across the couch, fatigue weighing down on his features, but he still had a kind smile plastered on his lips that indicated that he wanted to continue the conversation.

"I have a lot of aspirations Colonel, but as a working woman you gotta think about feasible things, like rent or groceries," _or running away from murderous sorcerers and finding out who the hell broke into my apartment._

"Does Tony not pay you enough?" Rhodey asked with concern in his voice, placing the glass of water on the table.

"Nope, still in that shitty company but its enough to pay the bills. What about you, do you have any aspirations? What about when you were younger?"

"I wanted to become an astronaut," he admitted glancing at the windowsill, the sky was void of stars because of all the light pollution. "That was when I was younger and a lot of people told me I couldn't and that I shouldn't. Became the closest thing next to that, proved them I could still achieve things. I may not have become an astronaut but the fact that I have the position I do now can allow kids like me to think that they can strive higher than me. If I could pin down any current aspiration then it would be black kids in positions of power."

"Agreed. There need to be more people in power instead of only pale, male and stale politicians. America confuses me, you know? It's a country made up of immigrants but it exploits the ones coming into the country, who are the backbone of the economy and the ones who get the job done. It claims to be a democratic state with freedom and rights yet it continues to criminalise people of colour. No offence Rhodey, I get it that you're in the military and its like patriotism at its highest, but if this is a democracy, then fuck democracy."

"Just because I'm part of the institution doesn't mean I agree with the status quo. I understand your frustration, but it's nothing that you can change right away."

"Doesn't mean we should be complacent about it. I'm frustrated because I understand that social change doesn't happen instantaneously but we've lived so long where when people ask if I have a dream it only matters before a certain age, and after that, it becomes a joke. It makes me angry that the ones who lead this nation are not proportional to the representation of the people who live in it. What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Tony was right," Rhodey chuckled. "You sound like a political science student. Would you ever think of becoming a politician? We need more people like you in power, maybe change can happen."

"The day I become a politician, America would have to accept socialism, which, it won't any time soon. For now, I think change should occur with people in power but all they need to do is listen to the rest of the population. I swear, politics here smells like elitism it isn't even funny. Maybe you should become a politician."

"Me? As a politician? I think Tony might stop being my friend if that ever happens," Rhodey shook his head in amusement.

"Tony's a privileged asshole, he can deal with it, he loves you enough anyways."

"I'll think about it," Rhodey smiled. "What about you? Did you have any aspirations when you were younger and what about now?"

"I wanted to be a singer or an actress, they thought it was cute but after a certain age, everyone began telling me it wasn't a real job and was told that I wasn't the right one to represent their character. Jokes on them, I have a real working-class job and life still sucks. Now? I don't know, I guess I have aspirations for world peace but the least I can do first is having a peace of mind. Also, pretty sure some leaders claimed peace but ended up doing another thing, look at Bush. Hel, the world sucks balls sometimes."

"Yeah, the world isn't fair but don't give up. Trust me, I know it's easier said than done but the moment we give up is the moment that they win."

"Amen to that brother," she whispered as they watched the sunrise.

* * *

Dead on her feet, Ani blearily blinked and yawned. The fluorescent light was harsh, penetrating the shadows of the night. The train was running late and Ani grumbled, focus entirely on her phone as she scrolled through Twitter to pass the time.

Ani usually took public transport to go home despite Tony's insistence for Happy to drop her home. She countered that with a long speel about the environment and carbon emissions, it took a while but she eventually convinced them. Ani didn't mind commuting this was the only time of day where she had time for herself. It gave her space to think and re-evaluate life.

She glanced at the people waiting on the terminal. A homeless man was sleeping against a pillar, dressed in thick layers of clothes despite the Malibu heat. Not far from her, was a group of high school students who appeared to be going home late, books heavy in their arms. Meanwhile, a businessman was sprawled on a bench, taking much of its space. His tie lopsided and the suit he wore was ill-fitted.

Ani looked up as her train approached and a crowd of people quickly clustered through the automatic door. In the haste, Ani bumped into the person in front of her and gave an apologetic smile when the woman shot a glare. Ani hummed and allowed her eyes to dart left and right. The carriage wasn't as full as it usually was, with a faux air of indifference, Ani stood by the window and inhaled sharply. Strapping her backpack onto her body, Ani glanced at the window, staring at the reflection. Tonight was certainly going to be more troublesome than usual.

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around her throat and on instinct, she used the momentum to throw the attacker above her. The body of the homeless man crashed onto the floor. The sudden commotion caused manic in the carriage as the majority of the passengers quickly fled to the next carriage as the group of high school students pulled out machetes. During the chaos, they attacked her and Ani grabbed the first one around the wrist, twisting it with an audible crack. She evaded the rest of the attacks and ruthlessly responded with swift kicks. With the not-so-students laying on her feet, Ani looked up at the remaining assailants.

Five against one, all holding weapons and it was clear that all was organised. Ani allowed her eyes to flash purple for a second, gone in a blink. They ran towards her and she grabbed one by the hair, throwing them onto the entrance and holding onto a pole, swinging around to push another against the wall, effectively knowing them out. They were trained, she noted. Far beyond the conventional military training and dressed in ordinary clothes that would have hindered anyone else in a fight. Yet, these people moved with fluidity and eased practice.

Ani ran towards the rest, she punched, aiming for their faces but they evaded her and instead, her fist collided with the side of the carriage. It cracked and burst under the pressure. Fuck, she put too much power in that one. The train slowly halted from the onslaught and the lights flickered.

The remaining two looked at her with bewilderment. Guess they didn't know everything about her, and they shouldn't. Ani was perplexed, she hadn't been here long enough for anyone other than the sorcerors to know about her. Moreover, the battles against the sorcerors were usually fought in the mirror world. Ani didn't leave traces behind, which led to the conclusion that they somehow had pre-existing knowledge of her, which was impossible, or this was something to do with her affiliation to Tony.

Either way, Ani didn't wait for an answer and used the element of surprise to launch herself to the remaining two, giving a strong kick to send one into the other, powerful enough that a loud crack echoed throughout the commotion.

She walked towards them, looking down at a woman, the one who had stood in front of her when boarding the train. The woman struggled to breathe and spat on Ani before say her final words.

"Hail Hydra."

"What the fuck?" Ani swore.


End file.
